SOPHIENKELLER VAULTED RESTAURANT - DRESDEN
Baroque Theme Dining Entertainment
The
glory days of Dresden were its Baroque period when independent Saxony
was
at the
height of its position and power in the pantheon of competing
German states. Frederick Augustus “August the Strong” of
Saxony got the nickname “the Strong” and sometimes the "Hercules
of Saxony" because he was a big man who liked to show off by breaking
horseshoes with his bare hands, though one suspects a bit of hyperbole
or legend building. But August was a fervent patron of the arts and elevated
Dresden to a cultural capital. Dresden’s royal
Baroque style was begun during his reign, principally the Zwinger
Palace inspired by Versailles. Much of it was destroyed in the bombing
of WWII (see Frauenkirche
Reborn),
but the gate hall of the Zwinger Palace called Hall of Chimes for its
chime clock remains. If you look directly through the gate passage you
see
the entrance
to
the Sophienkeller (see Zwinger
Palace).
The Sophienkeller
Vault Restaurant in the underground “keller” of
the Taschenbergpalais directly across from the Zwinger chimes hall is
one of three themed restaurants in Dresden reviving the golden Baroque
age for dining visitors, popular with tourists, birthdays and other occasions,
where period costumed waitress “mädchens” serve traditional
Saxony cuisine in a festive entertainment atmosphere of singing dinner
performances of minstrel musicians, alchemist magicians and fortune tellers.
The theme of the Sophienkeller
Restaurant is based on a legendary festival in 1730 which August the
Strong arranged to impress Frederick Wilhelm
I, the King of Prussia, showing off his new reformed army in a military
camp called the Zeithainer Lager. The tented field kitchen cooked up
Saxony delicacies to the Prussian entourage, served on a carousel, along
with the various entertainments of the day. The restaurant is made up
of several rooms in the cavern-like catacombs under the former Taschenbergpalais,
originally a palace for the Countess Constanze von Hoym in the 18th Century,
above ground almost completely destroyed in 1945, rebuilt almost from
scratch, now the Dresden Kempinski Hotel. The vaults underneath the palace
remained relatively intact and some of the stone walls of the earlier
medieval buildings "Einsiedelsche Häuser" remain exposed.
A collection of dining
areas with names like the Monastery Bakery with a historic oven, the
Table of Nobles, the Guild Halls and the Guardians
Passage welcome diners and groups for the food and festivities. The Alchemists
Keller is devoted to the legend of Johann Böttger, an alchemist
who escaped the demands of Frederick of Prussia to prove he could turn
lead to gold on pain of death, to the more forgiving August who accepted
instead his accidental formula method for fusing gold with porcelain
responsible for creating the Meisen porcelain industry.
The entertainment
shows with dinners ending with traditional drinking from a funnel called “Dresdner Trichtertrinken” are
in the evenings and weekends, best reserved in advance. If you prefer
a little
more intimate dining in the colorful atmosphere without the raucous groups,
come early, or ask for one of the smaller vaulted dining rooms, with
theme motifs of knights and canons.
Dining at the Sophienkeller
If you're looking for pure fine dining, the Sophienkeller is perhaps a little more focused on atmosphere. The "maiden" waitresses are attractive, though quite busy, hustling through narrow low vaulted passages with armloads of food and drink. The food is traditional and it's a pleasure to look at the menu and see the prices. After traveling in other parts of Europe with menu entrees with 20s and 30s in front of them, the Dresden Sopienkeller menu tops out at €17.00, with a Saxony Sauerbraten for only €11.40. The east of Germany is still one of Europe's best bargains. © Bargain Travel Europe
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SophienKeller
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See Also:
SLEEPER TRAIN FROM DRESDEN TO ZURICH
DRESDEN CITY & SOCCER STADIUM GUIDE
MUSEUMS OF THE ZWINGER - ART, PORCELAIN & ARMOR
BENDLERBLOCK
- BERLIN
AUERBACHS KELLER LEIPZIG
MORITZBURG BAROQUE SUMMER PALACE
